Quest for a King's Rock
by Shadowy Knight
Summary: (Former title: Poliwhirl's Choice) Update: All chapters revised slightly; mainly small spelling and other changes to make the story flow better. If you've already read it, though, don't worry; the plot remains the same.
1. The Escape

Quest for a King's Rock

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, but I'm not using the characters for profit. I'm just borrowing. So you can't sue me!

*Also, to avoid confusion, know now that I will refer to any Poliwag, Poliwhirl, or Poliwrath in general as a "Poli."

Somewhere, deep in the Ilex Forest, there lived a collection of Poliwags, Poliwhirls, and Poliwraths. In this Pokemon community, there was a traditional order of things that had been going on for decades: soon after a Poliwag is born, it was taught by the elder Poliwraths, the group leaders, about basic wild Pokemon life and skills. When it evolves into a Poliwhirl, it undergoes training to become stronger and wiser. The training is long and hard, and some Poliwhirls don't even complete it and are exiled from the forest. But when a Poliwhirl does complete its training, it leaves on an important journey to evolve. It roams all over Johto and Kanto, searching for a Water Stone. Once it finds one, it brings it back to the group, where an evolution ceremony takes place and Poliwhirl evolves itself into Poliwrath. The Poliwrath then trains itself to become stronger and earn respect among the group, and also helps to instruct the young Poliwags. If it earns enough respect, it may become an elder and hold the top position in the community.

But, there is a dark side to this tradition: the elders of this clan are corrupt, and evil, flaunting their positions to establish a system of rule based on unquestioned respect and fear. Anyone who opposes them is charged with insubordination and treason. The accused Poli is brutally tortured, both physically and mentally, as the elders attempt to purge it of its way of thinking. Once the ordeal is over, it is given a choice: it can renounce its ideas and rejoin the group, or it can refuse to accept the elders' power and die. Many a Poli know about this grim spectacle, and fear the elders for it. What once was a secret and peaceful community in the forest has become a breeding ground for contempt, hate, and fear. But, there is said to be a way of undoing this evil: a King's Rock. The subordinate Polies know nothing about what it is or does; they only know that if a free-minded Poliwhirl were to get his hands on it, the reign of terror would end. Nothing like that has happened yet, but his is the story of one Poliwhirl who might prove to be the revolutionary many wait for…

Spiron the Poliwhirl awoke to the sounds of Ledyba flying between the trees over their pond. Arising with a yawn, he stretched his muscles and hopped out his bed of leaves and branches. It was his habit to be an early riser, and almost the entire group was still sound asleep. The only other ones awake were the Poliwraths who guarded the pond at night, and his friend, Waggle the Poliwag. Waggle was an even earlier rise than he was; many Polies said his energy was almost boundless.

"Morning, Waggle!" Spiron shouted to his friend from across the pond.

"Quiet, Spiron! You'll wake up the whole village!" Waggle replied.

"Oops, sorry. Just excited about today," Spiron said as he started to blush.

"Getting ready for your journey?" Waggle asked.

"You bet! As soon as the elders get up and running, I'm headed out on my adventure! There's a Water Stone out there with my name on it!"

"All right, Spiro! You're gonna be a great Poliwrath!"

"I've said it before and I'll say it again: DON"T CALL ME THAT!!" Spiron shouted at his friend loudly enough to summon Celebi.

"Sorry, dude. But keep it down, will ya?" Waggle replied. You probably just woke up half the Pokemon in the pond."

"Whoops. I'd better watch myself, shouldn't I?" Spiron said.

"No kidding. Those elders are cranky when they get woken up by somebody."

"Well, they're still asleep, from what I can tell. But I did seem to wake up Swirltar," Spiron observed.

"There's a first," Waggle smirked.

The sleepy Poliwhirl Swirltar slowly staggered out of his bed and stumbled towards his friends, almost stepping on a Spinirak in the process.

"Oogh, morning, guys," he said groggily.

"Morning, Swirltar. Sorry for the rude awakening," said Spiron.

"That's an understatement," Waggle muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" snapped Spiron.

"Um, nothing," Waggle quickly replied.

"Whatever," said Spiron. "Hey, Swirltar, you awake yet?"

"Sort of. Why?" he said.

"Nothing. I'm just excited about today," Spiron said.

"Oh, yeah!" Swirltar replied with renewed vigor. "Today's the big day, isn't it?"

"Yup," said Spiron. "Today's the day I set out to become a Poliwrath! I just gotta wait for those elders to get things running before I get started. …Man, this is going to feel like forever."

"We could play 'Hot Pineco,' Waggle suggested.

"Are you kidding?!" Swirltar snapped. "The last time we played that, I got blown into the swampgrounds!"

"Yeah, well **I** was the one who ended up in the briar patch," Waggle retorted.

"Only because you got too close with that stupid Pineco after it SelfDestructed!"

"Yeah, well, big deal. I'm up for a game, and we've got at least half an hour before everyone else gets up. How about it, guys?" Waggle asked his friends.

"Sure. Beats standing around all morning," Spiron answered. "How about you, Swirltar?"

"All right, fine. But if I end up in that swamp again, I'm kicking your asses!" Swirltar rebuked.

"OK, then," Waggle decided. "Let's go!"

"…Come on, Swirltar, find one with a stupid Pineco already!" Waggle shouted.

"Hey, take I easy, all right? I'm the one Headbutting these stupid trees! I'm surprised I don't have a concussion!"

"You need a brain before you can have a concussion," Waggle said.

"Hey, shut up before I Hydro Pump you into a tree!"

"Yeah, I'd like to see you try it!"

"Okay, wise guy, here it-"

"Shh!" Spiron said. "I think I hear one!"

"Where?" Swirltar asked, forgetting about the argument.

"Up in that tree over there," Spiron whispered. "Listen."

The three listened for the sounds of the Bagworm Pokemon up in the tree's branches, and sure enough, there was the unmistakable low growling and grunting of a Pineco. Swirltar looked up for a few more seconds, and then delivered a powerful Headbutt to the trunk, shaking the Pokemon loose.

"All right!" Waggle exclaimed. "Let's play!"

And with that, he struck the Pineco with his tail, sending it to Spiron.

"Hey, Swirltar, heads up!" Spiron said as he bonked the Pokemon over to him.

Swirltar caught the Pineco and threw it back to Spiron, who threw it to Waggle. Waggle then Tail Whipped it to Swirltar, who noticed it was starting to glow.

"Hey," he said. "It's starting to get mad!"

"Okay then," Spiron said. "Let's pick up the pace!"

The game continued, getting more frantic as the Pineco grew angrier and angrier. Soon it was reaching the critical point.

"Oh, crap! This thing's gonna blow!" Spiron shouted.

"Don't pass it to me!" Swirltar said.

But Spiron was too bent on winning the game and saving his skin to pay attention. He chucked it to Swirltar, who counterstruck it **hard**…directly to a sleeping elder! The head elder, no less.

"OH NO!!" Spiron screamed.

"Quick! Get it before it blows up!" Waggle said to Swirltar.

Swirltar ran as fast as he could, but it was too late. The Pineco, now seething with rage, let loose its mighty SelfDestruct attack. A massive explosion wracked the forest, with the Poliwrath elder caught right in the core of the blast.

"We are SO dead," Spiron said.

After the blast ended, the charred elder staggered to his feet and called out at the top of his lungs, "WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS!?!" 

The three friends, having learned to respect the elders, slunk over to him.

"Well? Is this your doing?" The elder inquired.

Swirltar spoke up. "Y-y-ess, sir. We we-were playing Hot Pineco, and I accidentally hit it over here."

"Oh, so this is YOUR doing, then, Swirltar?!" the elder said with fury in his voice.

"Uh, s-sort of, yes…" Swirltar trembled.

"Then you know the penalty!" the elder replied. "Assault on an elder is a high offense in this community of ours! And we must preserve order!"

"Oh, no…" the three friends all thought simultaneously. 

"Come with me," the elder said grimly. "We'll make sure you never cause this to happen again…"

"NO!!" Spiron shouted, before realizing the severity of his mistake.

"…Excuse me?" The elder replied in half shock, half rage.

"You heard me…I said 'no'." There was fear in Spiron's voice, but there was also a growing level of defiance.

The elder spoke: "You dare say **no** to me? Maybe you need to be taught a lesson, too!" The elder summoned two of his Poliwrath subordinates. "Poleitor! Spirilip! Take these miscreants away and teach them some discipline! Start with the eyes, and work your way from there," he ordered.

"Get away from them, you bastard!" Waggle yelled, and with that he released a powerful Hydro Pump at the elder, knocking him back three yards or so.

The other two could only stare in amazement. Suddenly, Spiron came to his senses and shouted, "Quick! Get them now and run!!"

He and Swirltar started to assist Waggle, attacking the elders and their followers. Hydro Pumps and Body Slam attacks were launched from all three of them, knocking the still shocked Poliwrath elders almost senseless. The surprise wore off, although, almost as soon as it had hit. Another elder directed the loyal Pokemon to attack.

"GET THEM!!" he yelled. "DESTROY THE ANARCHISTS!"

Spiron, Waggle, and Swirltar saw that the odds were increasing against them swiftly, so they took the first opportunity they could to run away as fast as they could.

"C'mon!" Waggle said. "We can get away if we head north!"

And so they did, running for their lives toward the northern gate, with the enraged elders and their followers close behind. They ran through thick growths of trees, bramble patches, and marshes, caring not the least for any of them; only trying to escape with their lives and each other.

Soon, they came to the edge of the forest. Knowing full well that their only chance for surviving was to leave it, the three pursued friends scrambled through the foliage and emerged into the light of the sun. Swirltar looked behind himself.

"Oh, no!" he said. "They're gaining on us!"

"I can't keep going much longer," Waggle said through panting and gasping. "My legs can't take this!"

"Wait!" said Spiron. "I have an idea!"

As the three passed through Route 34, Spiron had seen a group of Drowzee talking to each other. He headed for them, picking up small rocks and pebbles as he ran. When they passed them, Spiron launched a barrage of stones at the unsuspecting Drowzee, making them infuriated.

"Who did that?!" one Drowzee yelled, and turned to see the oncoming mob of Poliwags, Poliwhirls, and Poliwraths. Assuming it was them, since Spiron, Waggle and Swirltar were out of sight, the angry Drowzee used a powerful Confusion attack on the mob. The other Drowzee, all just as angry, followed suit, and decimated the horde. The Polies, exhausted from the beating they had just received, gave up the chase and slunk back into the forest.

As they returned to the depths of Ilex, the head elder said to another, "This is a grim day for our clan. Those rebels have just introduced a sense of revolution into our followers!"

"Then we'll just have to make sure," the other elder said, "that there's no chance of this happening again."

"Yes…yes…" the head elder replied. "Those miserable scum will not undermine our authority through the others! We'll take extensive measures to ensure that!"

And with that, both elders enjoyed a fiendish, evil laugh, knowing just what the village had coming…


	2. The Beginning of the Journey

Spiron and his friends were heading away from the forest on Route 34, their pace slowing since the Drowzee's diversion.

"Man," Swirltar said. "We were lucky to get out of that alive."

"Yeah," Waggle replied. "Thank God those Drowzee helped us." He thought for a second, then added, "…whether they wanted to or not."

"You know, Spiron, you saved our butts." Swirltar said. "If it weren't for you, we'd have been killed."

"Hey, yeah," Waggle added. "We owe you big."

"Don't worry about it," said Spiron. "Besides, that's the least of our problems now. We've gotta think of what to do now that we're fugitives. We know we can't go back. They'd kill us on sight."

"Yeah, right," Waggle sneered. "That'd be great, compared to those guys' reputation. They'd probably tear our guts out while roasting us on a spit."

"With a red hot poker right up our rear ends," Swirltar added.

"Yeah," Spiron said. "If we're lucky." He sat down on a rotting log near the Day Care's fence. "C'mon, guys, we'd better take a break and think of what to do with ourselves."

"Sounds good," Swirltar said. "I'm exhausted."

The other two took a seat on the log and tried to collect their senses. They thought about what had just happened, what they'd gotten into, where they were going to go, and what they'd have to do if they wanted to live. They wondered what would become of them, and if there was anyone they could turn to. No one said anything for what seemed like an eternity.

Finally, Spiron spoke. "I wonder when it all started to go wrong," he said. "What did we do that started it all? What caused that chain reaction that put us where we are now? Was it me, speaking out against the elder?"

"I blame myself," Waggle answered, "starting that brawl and everything. If I had just held back…"

"…Spiron and I would be getting punished by those elders," Swirltar finished for him. "You're not to blame, Waggle. You just did what you could to help us. You've always gone by your instincts. And in this case, those instincts had you risk yourself and save us. You're a hero, little dude." He turned to Spiron. "And you, Spiron; you only spoke out to save me. You've been thinking for yourself for a long time, even if you weren't always aware of it. And I can tell that, deep down, you've hated the elders for quite a while now. It was just a matter of time before it happened. And at least we got out with you."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Spiron said. "It almost seems we were meant for each other, really. We managed to help another during that crisis. And now the three of us are together, at a point of our lives that would kill us if we were apart. But, if we stick together and look out for each other, I have a feeling that we're gonna get through this just fine." He looked at Swirltar and Waggle, and, although they said nothing, he knew they agreed with him completely.

Swirltar picked some moss off the log and nibbled at it. "So, guys, where do you think we should go? Where's a good place for Polies like us to live?"

"I, uh, well… I really don't know," Spiron replied.

"Me, either," added Waggle. "We'd lived in the forest our whole lives. I mean, we knew there was stuff out there, but we never knew anything about it."

"Yeah, I know," Swirltar said. "We've got to be, like, the first Polies to have left the forest in a long time."

"But, I'll bet those elders knew about it," Spiron said resentfully. "Just think of all the knowledge those creeps have been holding from us."

"Yeah," Waggle responded. "But, it's kind of expected, if those guys wanted to stay in control. Those jerks were totally power hungry."

"Wow, it's amazing the stuff you'll realize when you're not in their shadows, isn't it?" Spiron asked. "I just wish there was something we could do about the rest of the Polies…"

"What do you mean?!" Swirltar exclaimed. "They attacked us just a little while ago!"

"Only because the elders made them," Spiron said. "They're living in a system of fear, just like we were! We have to help them! They're no different from us!" The excitement in his voice soon died out, though. "But there's no way the three of us could go up against those elders... and it's not like the Polies would listen, anyway..."

"Wait!" Waggle exclaimed. "Maybe there is a way to help!"

"What? What are you talking about?" Spiron asked, not having any idea of what Waggle's idea was.

"A Water Stone! That's the answer!" he exclaimed. "You were ready to become a Poliwrath! All you needed to do was go out and find a Water Stone to evolve! If we could find one, and give it to you to evolve, you might be able to use your new power to help the other Polies and stop the elders!"

"A Water Stone! Right! I'd forgotten completely!" Spiron said. "If I were to become a Poliwrath, I'd have lots of strength behind me! And those Polies would almost definitely respect a Poliwrath! I could get them to listen, and... and..." Spiron's voice started to crack. "Oh, it's hopeless!" he said, and broke into tears. Waggle and Swirltar moved in to comfort him. "There's just no way those guys would follow me! They're totally brainwashed by those smarmy bastards! I wish I could just kill them all!" He sobbed quietly, with his friends consoling him.

"Easy, there, Spiron," Waggle assured. "I'm sure there's something we can do..." and Swirltar nodded assent.

"Wow," came a voice from behind. It seemed to have a certain amount of caring in it. "You three have been through a lot, haven't you?"

Working his voice through his tears, Spiron looked behind his shoulder and managed a shaky "Huh? W-who was that?"

The three of them hopped on top of the fence behind them and looked into the yard of the Day Care, where they saw a lone Lapras in the pond.

"Wow," Waggle said. "It's one of those weird water dragons the elders talked about. I can't remember what it's called."

"I'm a Lapras," the creature replied. "I'm a Water/Ice Pokemon, in case you were wondering. And you guys are a Poliwag and two Poliwhirls, right?"

"You seem to know a lot about other Pokemon" Spiron said, calming down from earlier.

"I've been around a lot with my trainer. I'm taking a bit of a vacation while she's spending time in Goldenrod."

"Goldenrod?" Waggle inquired. "What's that?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should have realized you wouldn't know about it. Goldenrod is a city that's not too far from here. It's just a couple miles to the north."

"Seems…interesting," Spiron figured. "But what were you doing, listening in on our conversation?"

"I heard the three of you outside the fence, and I was wondering if I could help."

"That's nice of you," Spiron said. "And maybe you can help us. Do you know where we might be able to find a Water Stone?"

"Well, I understand why you'd want it, but you'd just be wasting your time, unfortunately."

"Oh, come on!" Swirltar said. "Do you think we're that pathetic?"

"No, no, you don't understand," the Lapras said. "I know of something that would be an even greater help to you than a Water Stone."

"Really?" the three of them said. "What is it?" asked Spiron.

"It's called a King's Rock," said the Lapras. "There's supposed to be great power inside it, and I'm sure it would be of use to you, seeing as you're a Poliwhirl."

"A King's Rock?" said Swirltar.

"Why does that sound familiar?" Spiron wondered. And then he remembered. "Oh, yeah! The rumors in the forest! They told about a King's Rock! They said that if one was brought into the forest, it would be able to bring peace to the village! But, how does it work?"

The Lapras answered, "It's simple, really. It's used like a Water Stone. But, instead of a Poliwrath, you become something even better."

"Wow!" Spiron replied. "What is it?"

"Unfortunately," the Lapras said, "I really don't know, even with my experience. And I don't know where you might find one, either. But, there's a Slowking who can help you. I heard my trainer talking about him."

"A what?" the three of them said.

"Well, do you know what a Slowpoke is?"

The three of them stared blankly, not having any idea, but Swirltar soon responded,

"Yeah, I think so! Is it one of those really slow, pink ones that go 'SLLOOOOOWWWW,' like they're yawning?" He turned around to Spiron and Waggle. "I remember seeing something like that going through the forest once," he said.

"That's it," the Lapras said. "And a Slowking is a Slowpoke evolved with a King's Rock; it's much smarter than Slowpoke or Slowbro, and I'm sure it will know how to help you.

"Slowbro?" Waggle asked.

"Oh, sorry," the Lapras said. "It's the normal evolution for Slowpoke. Not too spectacular. But this Slowking is incredible! Find him, and he'll help you find that King's Rock you're looking for!"

"Okay, then!" Spiron replied with determination in his voice. "Where is he?"

"I can't help you with that, but I know a Pokemon called Sneasel who can. He lives in Goldenrod, and knows this area like the back of his paw. He can help you find the Slowking."

"Where exactly is the Sneasel?" Waggle said.

"When you get to Goldenrod, find a small building that has a stairwell inside it. Take the stairs down, and you'll be in a long hallway. He hangs out in there. So you know who you're looking for, he's a little black guy with really sharp claws and three red 'feathers' for his tail and one on his head, where an ear would be. Tell him that 'Laurie sent you', and he'll gladly take you to Slowking."

"Sounds great!" Spiron said. "C'mon, guys! It's off to Goldenrod!"

And with that, the three of them headed north towards the city with a newfounded sense of determination and resolve. But before they left the Lapras completely, Spiron turned around and said, "Thanks, Laurie. This could be the start of a new future for us."

"You're welcome, Spiron. And be careful. All of you."

The three Polies then headed north to Goldenrod City.

"On your feet, you Poliwag scum!" a Poliwrath commanded to a Poliwag who had collapsed from fatigue. "Get those reeds to the tower site, worthless fool! Don't make me get violent!"

The exhausted Poliwag, for fear of what would happen, struggled to his feet, grasped the dropped bundle of reeds with his tail, and staggered forward towards a tower that was being built around the village, ignoring the wounds on his flesh that caused searing pain.

"That's what I like to see," the commanding Poliwrath called out to the Poliwag. "And don't let it happen again!"

As the Poliwrath continued to oversee the line of Poliwags carrying reeds, the second-in-command made his way to the head elder, who was atop a spiraling obelisk looking down on the toiling subordinates.

As he reached the elder, he saluted and delivered his message.

"Master," he addressed him. "Progress is on schedule as planned, and the Polies are being broken steadily. It won't be long before we can begin rebuilding them to suit our ideals."

"Good, good," the elder replied. "We won't take chances this time. Those Polies that resisted us left a strong impression on them, I just know it." He looked around his domain, contemplating to himself. "Remember, Wrathil, we may be building a striking town, but remember that it exists to wear down and contain those pitiful, submissive Polies to ensure we will never see another uprising again. If we keep them down, we can stay in power for a long, long, time."

The reporting Poliwrath thought for a moment, then said, "So, Master, shall we continue as planned, then?"

"Absolutely," the elder said. "I want you to tell your men to drive those Polies to the breaking point. I want their spirits crushed; I want you to have their minds purged of any obstinate thoughts they might have." 

"Understood," replied the commander. He started to head down, but before he could, the elder stopped him.

"And," he said. "Be certain get these towers and walls built quickly. We want these Polies trapped here." He paused briefly. "And, maybe more importantly, I want those rebels that escaped kept out."  
"What do you mean, Master?" the commander asked. "Why would they return to this place?"

"Because, commander, I know these lowlifes: they have no control over their emotions. They'll want to try and help these Polies, and when they do, we'll be ready for them. We'll _all_ be ready."

He and the commander exchanged glances, both thinking the exact same thing. The elder then gave the commander a salute and said,

"Commander Wrathil, you are dismissed."

"Yes, sir!"


	3. The Polies in Goldenrod

As the three Polies entered Goldenrod, they couldn't help but marvel at the immense city that lay before them. Bustling with commerce and teeming with activity, it was by far the busiest place they had ever seen, as well as the biggest.

"Wow," Spiron said, his jaw dropped in awe. "So this is Goldenrod." His voice was resounding with sheer amazement. "This city is the most impressive thing I have ever seen."

"No kidding," Waggle replied. "I can hardly believe what I'm seeing!" He paused briefly, then turned and asked, "What do you think, Swirltar?"

There was no response.

"Swirltar?" Waggle said, poking him with his tail. 

"Hmm, the guy's spellbound," Spiron said.

"I don't blame him," answered Waggle. "This place is amazing." He thought silently for a moment, then said, "but we've gotta get going."

"You're right, Waggle. Those Polies are depending on us!" He looked at Swirltar and said, "But this guy here is almost comatose."

"Should we prod this guy along, or just carry him?" Waggle sarcastically asked.

"Allow me," Spiron smirked as he turned to Swirltar. "I have an idea."

"Hey, Swirltar!" Spiron exclaimed.

"Yeah, isn't this place amazi-- whoa!" he yelled, as he just managed to dodge a punch aimed directly at his head. 

"What the hell was that for?!" he yelled at Spiron.

"We've got no time for gawking, Swirly," Spiron explained. "Besides, that punch was a fakeout anyway. Now come on, let's go find that Sneasel."

"Okay, okay. You're right. Let's go." Then under his breath, he muttered, "you little wiseass."

"What was that?" Spiron said.

"Um, I said let's find the Sneasel we're looking for, fast!"

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Spiron said, eyeing him suspiciously. "Well, if we find that underground passage, we find the Sneasel. Let's go!"

And the three of them headed into the city, knowing their fate was awaiting them.

"It's official, sir," Commander Wrathil reported. "The city is complete, and the Polies are broken. The time to reshape them is prime. We can start executing your grand design as soon as we have your consent."

"Excellent," the head elder replied. "Your men are doing a superb job. And you have my orders to continue as planned. Reprogram them to be lethal fighters. And be sure to keep them drained of their spirit. Dismissed."

"Yes, sir!" Wrathil said, and he descended back to the village.

"Our dreams will finally come true…" the commander spoke quietly to himself. "Soon, we will be able to control all of Ilex! And no one will stand in our way!"

He made his way to Patilion, the chief of the village, and delivered the elder's orders.

"The Master has given his consent," he said. "Reprogramming the Polies into militants may commence as soon as possible."

"Understood!" the chief spoke back. "We'll see to it that these Polies are made into merciless fighting machines! We'll leave nothing unchecked! And we shall begin at once!"

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear," Wrathil said, and he left the subordinate to his duty.

Patilion grasped a crude horn fashioned from wood, and sounded a signal to the village.

"Attention, loyal subjects! The time for action is at hand! The Polies you see before you shall now begin their military training, by order of the master! We shall begin our glorious transformation into the most feared Pokemon in Ilex, and one day, the world!"

A thunderous cheer erupted from the crowds, and Patilion resumed his speech.

"Now, commence their training! Turn their shattered minds into those of loyal soldiers! Fears of rebellion shall be a thing of the past! We will be invincible!!"

"HOORAAAYY!!!" the other Poliwraths cheers echoed through the forest. The Poliwags and Poliwhirls, however, would have been mortally terrified, if only their minds had not been destroyed by the heartless treatment doled out by their fearsome superiors. They could not even hope that Spiron and his friends might be the saving grace they had prayed for so many years...

"Man, we've been walking around here for almost an hour," Swirltar complained. "Where the heck is that underground passage?"

"Maybe we should have gotten Laurie to be a little more specific," said Waggle. "We can't very well explore the whole city looking for the entrance!"

"…Oh, yes we can!" Spiron asserted. "I have an idea that will show us exactly where the entrance is! Come with me!"

"I'm not sure I want to know what he's talking about," Swirltar worried.

"Ah, quit being a sissy and just follow him," Waggle said to Swirltar. "It can't be any worse than walking around this whole city."

"…I take it back, this is considerably worse," Waggle said, after seeing what Spiron's idea was.

"You expect us to climb that that thing?!" Swirltar said to Spiron in disbelief.

"Hey, this must be the tallest building in the city!" Spiron said. "It's the perfect vantage point!"

And yes, it was indeed the tallest building in the city. The three of them were standing at the foot of Goldenrod's Radio Tower. From there, they would be able to look down on the entire city and find the entrance to the underground quickly and easily.

"How do you even expect me to climb this thing?" Waggle yelled. "I HAVE NO ARMS!!"

"You won't," Spiron replied. "You're our safety in case we fall. Your job is to blast your Bubblebeam as hard as you can if one of us falls and stop our descent."

"Well, I suppose this sounds plausible," Waggle replied. "It might even work."

"Quit being a wise guy and help us, Waggle. You're all we've got if something goes wrong," Spiron said.

"All right. I'll keep an eye on you guys."

"Perfect," Spiron assented. He turned to the ladder and said, "C'mon, Swirltar, you're coming with me."

"What? Why me?" Swirltar demanded.

"Because this city's really packed, and I need you to help me look for the tunnel entrance. Now follow me."

Spiron grabbed the rung to the ladder, attained a firm grip, and began the ascension. Swirltar followed close behind. Soon, they were about halfway up the first of two ladders.

"Now, whatever you do, Swilrtar, don't look down. You're liable to die of fright."

"*gulp*…Right. Don't look down, and I won't die," Swirltar said to himself.

They continued their climb, but Swirltar, out of fear and shakiness, missed a step, causing him to lose his footing and hang on for dear life!

"Spiron! HELP!!" Swirltar screamed.

"Whoa! Hang on, Swirltar, I'll come get you!" Spiron said, although he was at least seven rungs above him. He carefully made his way down to his friend as fast as his own inhibitions would allow him.

"Hurry up! I'm losing my grip!" Swirltar yelled, blinded with panic.

"Almost there, Swilrtar! Just hang on!" Spiron reached down to grab his friend, but an unexpected loss of balance sent _him_ tumbling down to the ground!

"AAAAAAAAAH!!" Spiron screamed as he fell towards the pavement.

Waggle, seeing him fall, immediately released the most powerful Bubblebeam he had ever fired and… missed!

"HAAAAAALLLLP!!" Spiron yelled.

Waggle, seeing that he had failed and there was nothing else he could do, only averted his eyes so as not to see his friend splatter against the concrete. Swirltar turned his head and winced as he expected to hear a faint but awful 'thud.'

But all he heard was a quiet rushing of air.

"…Spiron?" Swirltar said with fear in his voice, and turned to face the ground. And what he saw amazed him. A little black Pokemon was standing beside Waggle and, to his disbelief, Spiron, who was completely unharmed!

"Waggle! What happened?!" he called.

"I, uh, I'm really not too sure myself! I'm still trying to figure it out"!

Meanwhile, the little black Pokemon was helping Spiron to his feet, as he had fainted dead away.

"Hey, are you okay?" the little Pokemon said. "You look kind of pale."

Spiron struggled to stand up. "Ugh," he muttered. "Wha- what happened to me?"

"It's what didn't happen to you that's important." The Pokemon said. "Namely, you crashing into the ground and turning into a puddle of flesh and blood."

"Wait a minute, did you save me?" Spiron asked.

"Yes, I did. I can't have anyone dying on my turf. It's bad for Goldenrod's image, you see," he answered.

"What did you even do?" Spiron asked.

"I just used my Quick Attack to catch you. I bet you didn't even know what happened."

"No, I didn't," Spiron said.

"Wait; what do mean by _your_ turf?" Waggle asked.

"Hey," the Pokemon said. "I basically run this city. I know every inch of it. I'm pretty much a whiz on this whole area."

"Wait, wait a second," Spiron said. "You're that Pokemon we were looking for, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," the Pokemon said.

"You're a Sneasel, right? A little black guy with sharp claws and red feathers?" Sprion asked excitedly.

"Yeah," the Sneasel replied, "but I don't know what that has to do with anything."

"We were told to look for you. We were told you could help us!"

"Wait," the Sneasel said. "Who told you this?"

"Um… let me think… oh, I remember! It was a Lapras named Laurie! She told us about you!"

"Laurie…" the Sneasel said. He appeared to be drifting into a memory. "Yes, I know her. And I'll be glad to help you."

"Great!" Spiron said.

"But how do you know her?" Waggle asked.

"We were great fiends once. There was even a little romance between us." The Sneasel suddenly looked sad. "Yes…" he said quietly. "There _was_…"

"What happened?" Waggle asked.

"Quiet, Waggle," Spiron said. "This is personal stuff."

"No, it's okay," the Sneasel said. "I'll tell you."

The Sneasel led them to a more secluded area near the Radio Tower. He was about to tell them the story, but he heard a faint cry:

"Hey! Help me already!"

"What was that?" the Sneasel asked.

"Oh, no!" Spiron exclaimed. "We forgot about Swirltar!"

"There's another one of you?" the Sneasel asked.

"Yeah," Waggle said. "He's up there." He looked up at the Radio Tower, where Swirltar was still hanging on.

"Hang on, I'll get him." The Sneasel then dashed off in a blur, returning with Swirltar just two seconds later.

"That everyone?" the Sneasel asked.

"Yup," Spiron said. Waggle was to his side, trying to help Swirltar, who was in shock from the speed of the rescue.

"Very well," the Sneasel said. "Now, if you want to know what happened, I'll tell you."

He then began to recount the events from his past.

"It was about two years ago," he said, "when I met her. It happened when she was in the Day Care south of here. I was out of the underground passage looking for some food and some fresh air. It was night out, and there were no trainers out at all. I passed the Day Care, and I saw her in the yard. I just thought to myself, 'It's just another Pokemon in that place. This one's kind of interesting.' I remember this because of what happened soon after."

"What did happen?" Spiron asked.

"I had passed the Day Care and was rooting around in some trees, looking for a Pidgey nest. And then I heard her screaming. I turned around and saw a pack of Houndour surrounding her. They had gotten into the Day Care yard and were looking _fierce_. I don't know what came over me. I usually would have just turned the other way on a Pokemon that was about to be eaten. But, maybe it's because she was a trained Pokemon and not a wild one, or maybe it's because there was something special about her, I don't know. I just knew I had to do something, so I leapt out of the tree and rushed over to those Houndour. I got between her and the pack leader and said, 'Leave this one alone! She's not part of this life anymore!' I can't remember exactly what the Houndour leader said, but I told him I was not going to back down. Next thing I knew, they were all over me. They were Crunching me and blasting me with Smog. I don't know how I survived, but somehow I managed to get the leader with my Fury Swipes. He went down in a matter of seconds. The rest of them fled out of fear."

"I would have, too, under circumstances like that." Spiron said.

"I saw if the Lapras was all right. She just looked at me with her deep blue eyes and said, 'You… you saved my life.' I didn't even really realize I had, but I just said, 'I had to. You're a trained Pokemon. You were out of your niche. You guys are supposed to be safe from this lifestyle.' I could hardly believe what happened next. She gazed into my eyes with an almost mystic look and said, 'You're really something special, little guy.' It was right then I knew there was something between us. It wasn't just a stand-alone incident."

"So, what happened?" Spiron asked. "That sounds ideal."

"It would have been," Sneasel replied, "But there were mitigating circumstances. We got to know each other that night, but I had to follow her around afterwards, seeing as she belonged to a trainer. I could only see her when her trainer was asleep. I would sneak over to her Pokeball and bring her to the outdoors. We would spend time together. We cherished it." His face grew somber. "But there was one night when her trainer woke up while I was sneaking out with Laurie's Pokeball. She sent out her Typhlosion to attack me. I couldn't do anything to one of Laurie's friends. By the time I recovered from the beating, she and her trainer were long gone. I never saw her again."

"*sniff*… That's so sad…" Spiron said.

"I know," Sneasel said. "But I can't let this get to me. We Dark Pokemon aren't supposed to be disturbed by such things."

By this time, Waggle had calmed Swirltar down and explained what had just happened. He also explained that they had found the Sneasel they were looking for. Swirltar turned to the Sneasel.

"So you're the one who's gonna help us?" Swirltar asked the Sneasel.

"Yes," Sneasel replied. "I'll do my best to help anyone who knows Laurie. But what exactly do you need?"

"We need a guide," Spiron said. "To help us find a Slowking."

  
"I know where he is. And I'll take you to him," the Sneasel affirmed.

"Thanks," said Spiron. "This will really help us."

"Glad to," the Sneasel replied. "Now follow me. Just know, though, that we have a long walk ahead of us. It'll take days for us to reach the Slowking. But if we keep at a steady pace, we can make it."

The Sneasel proceeded to lead them north out of the city, but he was stopped by Swirltar, who asked, "Hey, little guy; what's your name, anyway?"

"Swiftel. My name is Swiftel." he replied.

"Okay then, Swiftel," Swirltar said affirmatively. "Take us to that Slowking!"

The four of them then began the trek north to the Slowking's domain.

Commander Wrathil was monitoring the training the Polies were going through. To his left, some were being taught how to utilize powerful techniques such as Hydro Pump and Dynamicpunch. To his right, Polies were being trained to raise their power and speed to brutal levels.

"Everything is running smoothly," he thought to himself. "We'll soon be the most feared Pokemon in Ilex… maybe in all of Johto!"

He continued pacing through the training grounds, observing the progress the militants were making. He was so focused on watching them, he didn't see a stone tablet in front of him until he tripped over it.

"Whoa!" he shrieked, as he collapsed to the ground. "Ugh," he muttered. "What the hell was that?"

He looked for the object he had tripped over, and found the tablet below his feet.

"What's this?" he thought to himself. It was caked with moss and lichen, but he was able to remove most of it easily.

"Oh, my God!" he said. "This must be a record from when we had just started in Ilex! We must have dug it up when we were building the towers!"

He read the inscription that was chiseled into the rock. As he was finishing it, an expression of terror fell over his face.

"Oh, no... OH, NO!! MASTER!!!" Wrathil grabbed the tablet and sped to the center obelisk, where the head elder was reigning over the village.

"Master!" Wrathil said as he reached the top.

"Commander Wrathil! What is going on here?" the elder demanded.

"I have just realized something horrible! Look at this tablet!"

Wrathil handed the tablet to the elder and explained the seriousness of the situation.

"Those Polies that escaped; two of them were Poliwhirls! This tablet speaks of the King's Rock that releases awful power when brought to a Poliwhirl! If one of them were to obtain a King's Rock and use it on himself… our rule could be destroyed!"

The elder, realizing what this could mean, shattered the tablet on the ground in a fit of rage and ordered, "Commander! Send out your best men to capture those Polies! We must find them before they get a King's Rock!"

"Yessir! My men and I will find them."

Wrathil rushed down to the forest floor and called for his lieutenants.

"Men! Those miserable Polies that escaped are now our greatest enemy! We have just received information that states that they could be a terrible force against us! A King's Rock could be a catalyst for them to bring us down, and they are undoubtedly after one! We must find them and capture them before they use one to become our worst nightmare! Let's move out!!"

Wrathil and his lieutenants headed out of the forest toward the direction the Polies escaped. The hunt was on, and it would stop at nothing…


	4. The Hunt is On

Swiftel and the Polies were headed north along Route 35, on their way to the Slowking. This had been their sixth day out of the forest. Despite their fatigue, much enthusiasm was between them, and Swiftel had struck up a conversation.

"So, what's the deal with you guys, anyway?" he asked.

"Huh?" said Spiron. "What do you mean?"

"Like, where are you from? What are you doing here?" Swiftel explained.

"Oh, right," Spiron said. "Well, it's kind of a grim story, actually. You may not want to know about it."

Swiftel then appeared indignant. "Hey, I told you guys about me. You should at least give me the same privilege."

"You're right, you're right," Spiron said. "It's kind of involved, but if you want to know, I'll tell you."

"The three of us are from Ilex Forest. We lived in a secret community of Poliwags, Poliwhirls, and Poliwraths. It was a secretive group; our people were the only ones that knew about it. It was controlled by a group of Poliwrath elders that had total authority over us."

"Don't get me started on authroity," Swiftel said. "I'd hate having somebody telling me how to run my life."

"No wonder you live this life of yours," Spiron commented. "Anyway," he continued, "I was about to go on a traditional journey to find a Water Stone and evolve into a Poliwrath. I had an early morning, so I decided to play Hot Pineco with these guys. It got a little out of hand, and the damn thing SelfDestructed right on the head elder. Swirltar took the blame for it, but Waggle and I stood up for him, and it pretty much resulted in us getting chased out of the forest."

"Then what?" Swiftel said. "I'm sure that's not just it."

"Well, afterwards, we were resting from the chase near this building with a big yard by it. We were thinking about what had happened and what we were going to do, but we couldn't think of anything. Then, out of nowhere, we heard a voice behind us that sounded like it wanted to help."

"And that was…?"

"Laurie, the Lapras you were involved with."

Swiftel sighed. "That's just like her, I guess… helping other Pokemon in their time of need…"

"She told us about a King's Rock. It was something we had heard about in the forest, but it had pretty much vanished out of everyone's memories. She said there was a Slowking who could help us find one, although she didn't know where he was."

"And then she told you about me?" Swiftel asked.

"Exactly. She said you know this entire area like a pro." Spiron thought for a minute and said, "But what is this area, anyway?"

"The area she was referring to is Johto," Swiftel answered. "It's a huge landmass on the western side of the mountains. To the east, there's a place called Kanto, but that doesn't really concern us right now."

"And, where were we in relation to this place?" Spiron asked.

"If you're from Ilex, you were on the western coast of the major peninsula."

Spiron looked confused. "I, uh, don't quite understand."

"I didn't really think you would," Swiftel said. "This place is a tad complicated. Just forget about it for now."

"I think I will," Spiron said. "So, where is this Slowking, anyway?"

"He's in a place called Mt. Mortar," answered Swiftel. "It's a huge cavern to the northeast of us. He lives there to escape the outside world. And yet, he knows of everything that goes on around him."

"Wow," Spiron said, with amazement in his voice. "Sounds like he could really help us a lot."

"What do you plan to do with this King's Rock, anyway?" Swiftel asked.

"That's our business," Spiron said.

"In that case, I'd rather not know," Swiftel resigned.

Swirltar, who had been quiet for a while, spoke up.

"Uh, guys? Can we rest for a while, We've been walking for some while."

"Sure," said Swiftel. He didn't say anything, but he was starting to get fatigued, too. "I know a great place to relax. It's over me this way."

The four of them headed into the National Park, their bodies anticipating a well-deserved rest.

Wrathil and his men were heading north along Route 34, making excellent time, save for another encounter with the Drowzee group. The skirmish had not hurt them badly, though, and they continued searching for the Polies. Their keen tracking skills allowed them to miss nothing.

"Those Polies have been through here," Wrathil said. "Just look at these tracks."

Although the tracks were fading into the dust, they were still visible, and clearly in the shape of smooth, elongated ovals; distinctive of Polies.

"There's two sets of these tracks," one lieutenant said. "And one of these small ones. This fits their group perfectly."

"And over here," another said, "it seems they were slowing down when they got here. They probably had to rest somewhere."

"Like… over here?" A third lieutenant said.

"What have we here?" Wrathil smirked, and made his way over to the third lieutenant.

"This log has been disturbed. The impressions on the moss resemble their body sizes. And look at this!" he exclaimed.

"…Poli slime… the very stuff a Poli sweats to keep himself moist. There's no doubt they were here."

"And sir!" the lieutenant said. "This is hard proof!"

"This moss… it's been torn and eaten… and the slime on it is Poli slime also!"

Wrathil gripped the moss in his hand and clenched it fiercely.

"They won't get away," he breathed through his teeth. "They leave too many clues. They'll be an easy catch if we can catch up to them. And we will catch up to them."

"Look out!" one of the lieutenants exclaimed. "I hear a human coming!"

Wrathil and his three lieutenants dove into shrubbery next to the rotting log, and listened intently. The old man from the Day Care had come outside, and was feeding Laurie.

"My," he said, smiling at the Lapras, "your trainer certainly has been gone for a long time. Must be… hmm, seven or eight days by now." He petted the Lapras gently on her head. "You just eat up and relax, sweetie. I'm sure she'll be back before you know it."

He went back inside, but Laurie was not alone soon after; the Polies had surfaced and confronted her.

"Well, well, well. Been here for some time, have we?" Wrathil taunted. "I'm sure you've seen a great many things from this vantage point. How about a group of little blue Polies that have been wandering around? Seen anything of the sort?"

Laurie, with her psychic abilities, could sense that these Polies were not on friendly terms, neither with her nor the other Polies she had met.

"I'm sorry," she said, "but I haven't seen anything like that."

"You're jerking us off," Wrathil said, getting angry. "We know you must have seen these miserable peabrains. It was only six days ago that they escaped."

Wrathil moved closer to Laurie, and looked her straight in the eyes, with a gaze that would have turned an Onix into a sniveling coward. "I'll ask you again, dearie, WHERE DID THOSE POLIES GO?!"

By now, Laurie was terribly frightened. "I don't know!" she said, her voice quivering. "I haven't seen any Polies come by this way! Not a single one!"

Wrathil decided to take drastic measures. "All right then," he said in an eerily calm way. "If you won't tell us where they went, we'll just have to force the information out of you!" Furious, he snapped his fingers and barked, "Lieutenants! Restrain her!"

The three lieutenants moved in swiftly and used their might to pin her down. Laurie soon came to her senses, however, and used her massive bulk to hurl them off and across the yard. She attacked with her Ice Beams and Surf attacks, and even unleashed a few Psychic blasts, but they did little to the seasoned Poliwrath troops.

"That's it!" Wrathil yelled. "Men! Use Whirlpool and hold her! We have other ways of forcing information out of troublesome hostages…"

The lieutenants gathered their strength and directed their water into whirlpools. Laurie, who was caught in their vortexes, could not move a muscle.

"Now we'll see just how well you can resist THIS!" Wrathil shouted.

Wrathil put one hand to his temple, and the other pointed out at Laurie. His eyes began to glow with a haunting blue light. It was his Mind Reader, and he was using it to find out exactly where the Polies had gone!

Laurie continued to remain trapped in the whirlpools, and Wrathil was steadily making his way into Laurie's powerful mind.

"She's putting up a good resistance," he said, "but she won't hold out much longer!"

Laurie gasped sharply as the Mind Reader finally broke past her mental barrier. Her eyes began to glow the same way Wrathil's were, and her mind was beyond her control.

"I can see them," Wrathil said creepily. "They are in a huge city, talking to a Sneasel. He's leading them north, to a Pokemon I can't quite recognize. But this will suffice."

Wrathil broke the mental link and glared at Laurie.

"So," he said, " they're on their way to find this Pokemon that you know of? This will help us immensely. Your aid to us has ended here."

As soon as he finished those words, he delivered a brutal DynamicPunch directly to Laurie's head, knocking her out of commission.

"She didn't know as much as I had hoped," Wrathil told his lieutenants, "but at least we know where they headed from here. Let's move out to the city and find them!"

The four of them marched north to Goldenrod, leaving Laurie battered and exhausted. All she could do was cry.


	5. A Close Call

Spiron and his friends had entered the National Park. It was a quiet and relaxed atmosphere; a perfect place to rest after a long walk.

Spiron stretched his muscles. "Ahh… this place is great. Plenty of sunshine, fresh air, and everything's so green!"

Waggle, who was resting in the lap of the sleeping Swirltar, replied in a placid, yet serious, tone. "You know," he said, "as nice as this place is, we'll have to move on eventually. The forest needs us."

"Don't rush yourself, Waggle," Swiftel said. "It's going to be tough ahead. We'd better rest up before continuing."

"And this is the perfect place to do it," Spiron added. "It's got an ethereal quality here. I feel so tranquil."

Having woken up into a state of half-sleep, Swirltar groggily replied, "Sigh… this park is so nice… a guy could sleep here for hours."

"I know," Spiron said, "but Waggle's right. As soon as we can, we're going to have to move on to Mt. Mortar."

"What did I just say, Spiron?" Swiftel said sternly. "We've got two more routes to go through and another city to navigate before we get to Mt. Mortar. But the city shouldn't be too much trouble; I don't want to go far in there at all. We'll just stick to the outskirts."

"Why so bent on avoiding it?" Spiron asked.

"That place is nothing but trouble," Swiftel answered. "With all the legends and intrigue surrounding it, there's no telling what may happen in there. I'm not big on the supernatural… which reminds me, ghosts like to hang out around there, too. We don't want to get involved with _them_."

"No, we don't," Spiron agreed. "That place sounds just a little out of our league."

"Seems kind of dangerous," Swirltar muttered. "We'd not be safe there for long."

A look of horror appeared on Waggle's face. "And we won't be here, either."

"What? What do you mean?" Spiron asked, confused.

"Look." Waggle directed his head towards the entrance of the park, where Commander Wrathil and his lieutenants had shown up. The four of them became terrified.

"OK," Spiron said, his entire body shaking slightly. "I don't think they've seen us. Just… very slowly, get up, and quietly walk out that way."

"Right," Waggle whispered.

Getting up slowly and casually, although they were fearing for their lives, they slowly walked out of their line of sight. When they were sure they wouldn't be seen, they tore out of the park as fast as they could.

Unfortunately, even though they weren't seen, the sounds of their running had alerted Wrathil, who directed his lieutenants to the source of the noise.

"I didn't hear anything, sir. What did it sound like?" one of them asked.

"Like something fleeing in fear," he said. "Check the area. I have a feeling those Polies have been here…"

The commander and his men investigated the area, checking for any evidence of Spiron and his friends. One of them headed to the exit, where the sound of them fleeing had come from. Checking the ground, he detected fresh tracks.

"Commander!" he said, pointing to the footprints on the ground. "These tracks match the ones by the Day Care!"

"What? Let me see those!" Wrathil snapped, and headed over to the lieutenant. Examining the terrain, he was certain these tracks were theirs. And he also saw that they were fresh. 

Beads of sweat formed on Wrathil's head. "They continue to evade us… but we are getting closer by the minute! Onward, men! They won't escape us!"

The commander and his men hurried through the park's other exit, with the furor of bloodthirsty warriors traveling through them. 

Back at the Day Care, Laurie was suffering from the beating delivered by Wrathil and his men. The old man had checked on the Lapras an hour ago. Conforming to his daily routine, he went to check on her again. But when he saw the battered creature, his jaw dropped in shock.

"Oh, my God! You poor thing! What happened to you?!"

Laurie looked at him with a despondent face, her expression clearly showing the pain she was in. She could not even growl in response; she was too pained and too weak from the beating.

"Gabriel, come out here!" the old man called. His wife showed up at the door, and she nearly fainted when she saw the Lapras.

"Oh, my goodness, Paul, what happened to her? She looks terrible!"

"I don't know, but I'm calling her trainer. You call the Pokemon center and help her."

"OK, yes, I will." The old woman sounded panicked, but still managed to keep herself relatively calm. She dialed the Pokemon center and told them what had happened, then tended to the Lapras to do what she could. Her husband had used his cell phone to call Laurie's trainer, then waited outside for the Poke ambulance and the trainer to arrive. Laurie rerst her head on the old woman's hand, closed her eyes, and waited for help to arrive.

"Hold on, Lauire," the old woman said, trying her best to comfort the Lapras. "Just hold on…"

"So, little one, you are my next quarry. You will submit to the will of Patilion!"

The two Poliwraths holding the frightened Poliwag threw him on the ground to Patilion's feet, then turned and went away.

"They say you're putting up a resistance to your training," Patilion said. "Tell me… why do you defy us?"

"I don't want to be a soldier," the Poliwag whimpered through tears. "I just want to be a normal Poliwag."

"So, you want to live a normal life…" Patilion said. He leaned down to the Poliwag face-to-face, his breath chilling the Poliwag both physically and mentally. He smiled a narrow grin. The Poliwag slowly became less frightened. Patilion put his hand on the Poliwag's shoulder. "Well, you know, kid…" he said. Suddenly, he withdrew his hand and struck the Poliwag as hard as he could. "…we don't tolerate that shit here!" The Poliwag became horrified and started crying again. "Shut up, you little bastard! Your life is ours now! And if we say so, you'll be a soldier!" He raised his hand and narrowed his eyes. "…Whether you like it or not." The spiral on his belly started to rotate. "Watch my eyes…" he said, as they started to glow blue. "Submit to _our_ ways…" The Poliwag, scared of what may have happened if he disobeyed, looked into Patilion's eyes, his own vision blurred from tears. "Now…" he said, "Watch the spiral… Watch it spin around and around…" The little Poliwag abandoned his will and stared at the rotating spiral on Patilion's belly. "Yes…" Patilion said. "Watch the enchanting design… watch it turn… feel it take you into mental rapture…" The Poliwag had been drawn into a trance by now, and had lost his conscious thought. "Let your mind sleep forever…" he said. "…And let us awaken it to fit our way of life!"

The Poliwag fainted on the floor of the grass hut, and Patilion called back the guards from outside.

"He's finished," Patilion said. "Have him reshaped with the others. And if any more lowlifes give you trouble, bring them here."

"Yes, sir," they said affirmatively, and dragged the Poliwag over to the training area.

"When he wakes up," one of the guards said, "he'll be fodder for the instructors."

"It's amazing what Patilion can do," the other one said. "His powers are amazing."

"You should see the elder, once he gets his hands on those bastards that escaped."

"Yes… that should be quite a show…"

The two of them continued to the training area, talking of their plans and laughing forebodingly.

"Keep running!" Spiron said. "We've got to get away from them!"

"Forget it!" Waggle said, trying to keep up. "We'll never outrun them! We've got to outsmart them!"

"Maybe we could hide somewhere!" Swirltar said.

"I've got an idea!" Swiftel said. "We can hide here!"

"Good idea!" Swirltar replied. "I'll follow you into this po-"

"No!" Spiron said. "In here!" He grabbed Swirltar by the wrist and pulled him into a bush, where Swiftel and Waggle had already hidden.

"Shh…" Swiftel said. "We can hide in this hole."

Swirltar looked in confusion. "What hole? I don't see any-"

But with his blinding speed, Swiftel had dug a hole in the soft soil. It was just large enough to provide cover for the four of them.

"Hurry up and get in!" he said.

Without any hesitation, Waggle, Swirltar, and Spiron crawled into the ditch. Swiftel followed them, keeping his eyes on the path in front of them.

"Be quiet," he whispered. I hear them coming."

Wrathil and his lieutenants slowed their pace, having lost track of their quarry.

"I'm sure they came this way," Wrathil said. "There weren't any other trails they could have taken."

"Maybe they doubled back," one of the lieutenants said. "There was some shrubbery they could have ducked into a short distance back."

"Check it," Wrathil growled. "The rest of you, fan out and search this area."

Wrathil and his men started investigating the grass and shrubbery nearby them. Spiron broke out into a sweat, knowing they would find them if they kept searching. Swirltar was clenching Waggle and shivering. Swiftel stared ahead with a steely gaze.

"We can't stay here," Spiron quivered. "They're right on top of us."

"Don't worry," Swiftel said under his breath. "I have a plan. When I shriek, head north as fast as you can."

Swiftel got into a crouching position, his claws outstretched and his eyes focused. The three Polies readied themselves to run at the instant the signal was given.

"Here comes one of them," Swiftel said. "Get ready to move."

The inspecting lieutenant drew closer to the underbrush. He peered into the foliage, and squinted to get a better view of whatever it was he saw inside.

"What the heck is that?" he wondered. "Maybe it's-"

At that moment, Swiftel leapt from his stance and let out an ear-piercing cry. The Polies took out from under the bush and ran as fast as they could away from the confrontation.

"AAAGGHH!!! Get it off! Get it off! Help! Help!" the shocked Poliwrath screamed. "It's scratching my eyes out!"

Swiftel really wasn't trying to do so, but he feigned attack well enough to frighten his opponent onto paralysis.

"Lieutenant! Hold on! We're coming to help you!" Wrathil yelled. "Just keep your face guarded!"

Being somewhat less surprised than before, the attacked Poliwrath managed to grab a hold of Swiftel, and struggled to keep him restrained. "Get off me, you little rat!" he yelled. He threw him to the ground, and proceeded to flatten him under his foot. But Swiftel was too quick for him, and immediately regained his footing. He delivered a brutal Slash to his victim, then kicked him into the dust, realizing fighting back was the only way he would stand his ground against them. Wrathil and the other Poliwraths had just arrived then, so Swiftel directed his attention to them. He acted relentlessly, swiping at one Poliwrath, kicking the next, biting another, and creating a terrible din. Wrathil took a deep gash in his chest and left arm.

"Arrgh! I'll kill you!!!" Wrathil bellowed, and took a shot at Swiftel. Somehow, even with Swiftel's great speed, the blow landed directly to his little frame, injuring him significantly. Swiftel knew he couldn't continue fighting against four highly skilled Poliwraths. Fortunately, Spiron and the others were a very good distance away, so Swiftel seized the first opportunity to beat a hasty retreat, fleeing north to where his friends had gone.

A stunned Wrathil struggled to his feet, his wounds stinging harshly, especially with the dust of the road in them.

"Aagh…" he moaned loudly. "What the hell was that?"

"I don't know sir," one lieutenant groaned. "But I'm more concerned about _why _it attacked us."

"Maybe it was hungry," another one suggested.

"I doubt it," Wrathil muttered, nursing the wound on his arm. "If it were hungry, it would have gone after a single Pokemon. And it wouldn't have taken off quite so quickly." His eyes narrowed, his anger creating a face that would have run his soldiers' blood cold. "I'm almost sure it was trying to stop us from something."

"But what?" a lieutenant said. "I can only think of one thing it may have been trying to stop us from…"

His words halted as he, and everyone else, realized why Swiftel had attacked.

"Those Polies were involved in this," Wrathil growled, his rage boiling. "That Sneasel is most likely a new friend of theirs. We'll have to dispose of him, too, along with those Polies, once we capture them."

"But wait, sir," a lieutenant said. "The elder wanted those Polies back alive. Maybe we should bring him that Sneasel, too."

"…Yes… yes…" he said sinisterly. "It would be quite pleasing to see those Polies watch their friend die. One last feeling of desperation before their own deaths."

"I couldn't have said it better, sir."

"Let's move out, men! Those Polies won't-- argh!" He had tried to march on, but his wounds caused too much pain. "We'll have to find something to heal us. These wounds are too severe."

"We'll try to find some berries!" one of them said, his partner beside him.

"And I'll stay here with you and Poltori!" the third one said. "We can't leave you alone in this state."

"Thank you, soldier. Know that it is much appreciated." He rested his head down on the ground, his hand on his bleeding stomach. "You two! Find those berries! They'll be the best way we can get healed." He grimaced as the pain struck him again. He spoke his last words before succumbing to unwanted sleep too quietly for anyone but himself to hear. "Those Polies shall know our vengeance!"

He then drifted into sleep, waiting to be healed and picturing the final demise of his victims.


End file.
